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Lidl's coffee gadget extravaganza kicks off on Thursday 13 December 2018. Get our first impressions of what's on offer and whether the deals are worth snapping up

Coffee machines can make fantastic Christmas gifts, but they don’t tend to come cheap. Lidl appears to have the answer as it brings back its popular bargain £80 Silvercrest espresso coffee machine just in time for the big day, along with a cheap coffee grinder and milk frother.

The Lidl Silvercrest espresso coffee machine uses ground coffee and has automatic milk frothing for a one-stop solution to making lattes and other milky brews.

If you want to grind your own beans for this machine, or your cafetiere, you can also pick up the Silvercrest electric coffee grinder for £10. For fans of frothy coffees or hot chocolate there’s a standalone electric milk frother on sale for just £17, too.

All three gadgets will be available in stores from Thursday 13 December while stocks last.

But are they worth planning a Lidl trip for? We tried out the Silvercrest coffee machine when it went on sale in November 2016. This is the third time it’s made a comeback, so is it still a great deal compared with newer rivals?

Lidl Silvercrest espresso coffee machine: is it a good deal?

This Lidl ground coffee maker may be cheap, but it’s packed with features and looks smart for the price point, too.

The simple design has six user-friendly preset options so your drink can be dispensed at the touch of a button. There are single and double shot options and an adjustable milk froth setting, so you can tailor the coffee to your tastes. It even has a memory function so you can get the perfect milk-to-coffee ratio every time.

Most ground coffee machines require you to froth milk manually using a steam wand and a separate jug. This model comes complete with a built-in automatic milk frother – usually found on more expensive bean-to-cup or premium capsule machines – so you can have foamy cappuccinos without the fuss.

Using ground coffee means it’s more economical to run than similarly priced coffee machines too. Most machines you can buy for less than £100 are capsule models, which cost more per cup than using ground coffee.

The nearest similar product we’ve tested is the Breville One Touch – another ground coffee machine with automatic milk frothing and preset drink options, which costs £150. Read the full Breville One Touch coffee machine review to get our verdict on this model.

Lidl Silvercrest electric coffee grinder: worth buying?

If you’re after the freshest coffee possible, but are put off by the higher prices of bean-to-cup machines, an electric coffee grinder is a pragmatic solution, allowing you to grind small quantities as needed.

Key facts:

Lidl’s £10 coffee grinder is a simple one-touch electric model.

It’s a blade grinder, which works in a similar way to a blender to blitz the beans.

Grinds up to 70g of coffee beans in one go – enough to make 8-9 cups of coffee.

It’s a decent price for a coffee grinder of this type, and about as cheap as it gets.

Blade grinders tend to be cheaper than burr grinders, but you’ll need to judge the fineness of the grounds for yourself by eye.

Burr models can be set to different levels of fineness, making them handy if you want more precise results, and if you want to easily switch between the fine grind needed for espresso coffee machines, and a coarser grind for filter or cafetiere coffee. These tend to be pricier – between £35 and £250.

For burr grinding on a budget, you could consider a manual grinder, though these need a bit of elbow grease to work. Get more advice on the different types in our full coffee grinders buying guide, and discover the best cheap models in our round-up of the best coffee grinders of 2018.

Lidl Silvercrest electric milk frother: is it good value?

At just £17, the Silvercrest electric milk frother is one of the cheapest electric milk frothers we’ve come across, and it has a smart stainless steel finish too. Your next cheapest option would be a small electric whisk.

As well as giving a frothy finish to your cappuccino, the four different settings are similar to what you’ll find on branded models such as the Nespresso Aeroccino, and will help you create a whole range of drinks. The settings are:

Cold froth

Thick froth

Creamy froth

Hot milk

With a froth capacity of only 150ml (similar to other frothers, about enough for one small coffee), making a round of drinks might take a while, but if hot milk is all you’re after it can take up to 300ml.

It’s decent value, but if you’d rather have a tried-and-tested model, we’ve found a Best Buy milk frother for less than £30, and another great option for making larger quantities in one go – perfect if you want to make coffee for two in a hurry. See our guide to the best milk frothers of 2018 for our top picks.